Chapter 005: The Hidden Plot

The conversation with Tony Parker wasn't particularly pleasant. The hippie boy had already marked Cyrus Greene as an enemy. He probably thought Cyrus Greene was challenging him just to make him look bad in front of Angie.

Well, Angelina Lawrence was indeed pretty enough to be worth pursuing. However, Cyrus Greene was more interested in that robot dog - it would be an intelligent assistant with powerful combat capabilities.

After dinner and chat, it was already past eight. After thanking the Lawrence family, Cyrus Greene returned to his own house. Or rather... his burned house.

Compared to the Lawrences' smart home design, Cyrus Greene's house was far inferior, almost like a slum. There were no household robots here, no personalized electronic appliances. Since the first floor was a mess from the recent fire, he didn't even want to look at it and went straight upstairs.

In the bathroom mirror, Cyrus Greene saw his current self - indeed his 18-year-old appearance, but somehow more refined, standing at 5'11" with a somewhat handsome look. However, stripped of clothes, he found himself quite thin, probably not even reaching 154 pounds.

This really gave him a weak vibe! He had to find ways to strengthen, strengthen, and strengthen some more!

The bedroom was sparse - a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a few chairs. But what left Cyrus Greene dumbfounded were the walls covered with photographs, all seemingly taken from his rooftop, spying on the Lawrence family across the street.

The subject of these photos wasn't David Lawrence, nor was it Angelina Lawrence who got along well with Cyrus Greene. Instead, it was the mature, sexy, and gentle housewife Rachel Connor.

There were photos of Rachel in formal wear watering the garden, hanging clothes by the window, cooking dinner in the kitchen, reading on the balcony - these were still somewhat normal.

But damn, how were there photos of Rachel in her nightgown through the bedroom window? And photos of her wrapped in a towel coming out of the bathroom, even shots of the housewife sunbathing in a bikini on the backyard lounger!

Holy crap... which pervert took these? This pervert... it couldn't be me, could it? Jehovah, come out here! Is this how you set up my character - as a sleazy, shameless teen? Don't say I did this, I absolutely wouldn't...

Wait... saying 'absolutely' might be going too far! Cyrus Greene thought: This should be viewed from an artistic perspective. If it were me, seeing a housewife with such a good figure, taking a few extra glances would be quite normal!

For an eighteen-year-old boy, even God would forgive such mistakes. But while the photos should have been kept on a computer, having them printed and plastered on bedroom walls was just too perverted! If David Lawrence ever discovered that he had been taking sexy photos of his wife, Cyrus Greene probably wouldn't be able to hang out with his daughter anymore.

Cyrus Greene tore down the voyeuristic photos one by one, thinking it would be a waste to burn them, so he stuffed them in a box and shoved them under the bed.

After dealing with Rachel's risqué photos, Cyrus Greene sat at his bedroom desk and turned on his computer. Compared to Angie's latest model with its virtual screen, his computer was at least a decade old, complete with mouse, keyboard, tower, and monitor.

This old computer wasn't even advanced compared to 2016 standards, and in 2030 it was practically an antique destined for the junkyard.

The operating system was the familiar Windows. Cyrus Greene opened a notepad and began listing things he needed to prepare for the coming catastrophe.

First, he needed transportation. Though his small frame had great potential, the potential wasn't the same as actual strength. A suitable vehicle would ensure that in the early stages of the catastrophe, if not gaining an advantage, he could at least make a quick escape. When things went south, he needed to be able to flee immediately.

When the entire New York transportation system collapses, large vehicles won't be able to move at all. Therefore, a medium-sized, high-powered motorcycle with strong off-road capabilities would be essential. If possible, a police motorcycle would be ideal.

Transportation was the easier part - after the catastrophe, there would be abandoned vehicles all over the streets. However, the problems of food, water, medicine, and fuel were more troublesome. Without these supplies, he wouldn't survive long anywhere, so Cyrus Greene couldn't leave New York in the short term, as this was the only place where he could conveniently gather large amounts of supplies.

But to complete these preparations before the catastrophe, he needed money and quite a lot of it. However, Cyrus Greene was broke - his current identity was that of a welfare recipient, with only food stamps in his pocket.

America had about 45 million people living on food stamps, distributed through registered value cards that could only be used at certain local restaurants and supermarkets. So relying on Cyrus Greene's savings to purchase supplies was completely impossible.

If he wanted to get supplies after the catastrophe, money wouldn't be needed, but he'd have to compete with strong illegal immigrants and various thugs. With his current small build, could he fight against thugs who were typically 6'3" and weighed over 220 pounds?

And even if he could fight them, so what? Guns were everywhere in America, and thugs were all over the place. These people usually carried a gun or two and moved in groups. If Cyrus Greene encountered such criminals, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape.

"Whether through theft, robbery, or deception, I need to get some money, at least enough to buy supplies that can last over a week. Only then will I not have to worry about going hungry and have the energy to go to Columbia University for that robot dog when the catastrophe hits."

Cyrus Greene spent two to three hours trying to recall the plot of the 'Wasteland' movie, recording everything that happened in the film on his computer. His survival in the early stages of the catastrophe would depend on whether he could use this known plot to avoid danger and gain advantages.

It was now the evening of three days before the catastrophe, and Cyrus Greene suddenly remembered a news story that would be broadcast tomorrow. There would be a murder in this neighborhood - the victim would be a prostitute from a nearby underground bar. His mind raced, trying to find an opportunity to make money from this.

After an hour, Cyrus Greene connected several seemingly unrelated events from the movie. Finally, he walked out to the street, ready to implement his planned scheme.

It was late at night, and the neighborhood was quite quiet, with barely anyone on the streets. Cyrus Greene made his way to an intersection by identifying street signs, checking the time, and waiting for a while. His heart was pounding because he was about to gamble on his hunch.

Suddenly, the sound of high heels clicking broke the silence of the street, and a woman's figure appeared. Soon after, two burly figures emerged behind her. Soon, he could hear the woman's weak pleading and the men's rough, low growls.

The murder case - this was it!

Cyrus Greene's bold move was to shout: "What are you doing?"

The shout was piercing in the night. Two fierce faces emerged from the nighttime shadows, glaring at Cyrus Greene with hostile expressions. Both perpetrators were huge men. One of them stepped forward, built like a bear with wolf-like eyes, and snarled, "Kid, do you know what trouble you're getting into?"

As the tower-like thug approached step by step, Cyrus Greene's hair stood on end and a cold sweat broke out. He kept telling himself 'Stay calm, stay calm' because he recognized who he was facing - the notoriously violent Potaski brothers, Russian-Americans, and well-known mafia members in Queens, who were also the murderers in this case.

Damn, I've triggered a hidden plot! And I'm challenging elite-level enemies! When this quest is complete, it better gives me a big reward package.